SB 5 Fwy Near Camino De Estrella Closed After Pursuit Crash

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A police pursuit ended in a dramatic crash on the Santa Ana (5) Freeway near the Camino De Estrella exit, prompting the closure of all southbound lanes Friday evening, authorities said.

Officials do not expect the roadway to be opened until after midnight Saturday.

Drivers can take the southbound Pacific Coast Highway, which runs parallel to the 5 Freeway in that area, to avoid the closure, according to NBC4's Sean Murphy.

The commute is stopped at the 73 Toll Road, according to a SigAlert issued for the area, and is stop and go from Basilone Road. Drivers are being diverted off the freeway at the Camino De Estrella off ramp then back on, according to the SigAlert.

The chase started at about 4 p.m. near Lincoln Avenue and Sunkist Street in Anaheim, police said. The driver was wanted for allegedly stealing the white Ford pickup truck involved in the pursuit.

The chase ended at about 4:16 p.m. when the truck crashed into a center divider then another car on the southbound 5 Freeway, just north of Camino De Estrella in Dana Point. Debris from the crash appeared to be strewn across two freeway lanes and the shoulder, according to aerial footage.

Three people were traveling in the truck. At least one of them was injured, police said.